Heroes and Villains
Stan
Lee once said that "A superhero without a great villain is like a day
without sunshine."
All the great superheroes have a nemesis who is nearly just
as famous, if not more so. Think of the Joker or Lex Luthor, Doctor Doom or
Magneto. These villains are rich characters in their own right. The most
important quality, I think, is that in a villain's own mind, he or she is the
hero.
Of course, this is a story about superheroes. Valor is your
traditional idea of a superhero. He's got the spandex and the cape, and loves
to pose for the cameras. Socket works from behind the scenes, using his
abilities to control computers to keep the team organized and fighting the good
fight. Everything changes for them once the villain appears.
In writing "The Division" I knew I wanted to give
my villain his own voice. While my two heroes, Valor and Socket, are caught up
in their own relationship, he manipulates circles around them and the rest of
the team. He cares little about them and delights in the destruction that is to
come.
Writing from the villain's point of view was fun – almost
too fun. I was cautioned by an early reader not to make him too likeable,
because she was starting to root for him. That's not a bad thing. It meant that
he was a very real character, that he wasn't evil for the sake of being evil.
To find out how it all turns out, check out “The Division”
when it releases on Friday! I hope reading it will be just as thrilling as
experiencing the pages of a comic book.
By CC Bridges
Opening a portal to love.
Socket and Valor have been best friends—and part time superheroes—for years. When an invasion force threatens the Earth, they form a team of heroes to face the threat.
Closeted media darling Valor has no idea that Socket has been nursing a crush on him since their high school days. When a buffer, grittier version of Socket emerges from one of the alien portals, Valor discovers his own attraction, but his refusal to out himself gets in the way of his and Socket’s budding intimacy.
The alternate Socket has his own agenda, however. One that doesn't include attachments or a team of do-gooders getting in his way.
